The growing functionality of modern mobile communications terminals means that testing these devices is becoming increasingly important. If a mobile communications terminal is tested in the real mobile communications network, the conditions are often not reproducible because the limiting conditions such as cell capacity, timing, utilisation etc. can change continuously. In this respect it makes sense to test mobile communications terminals in a reproducible test network. Dedicated test apparatus for testing mobile communications terminals exists for this purpose. DE 10 2008 010 300 A1, for example, describes the operating principle of a test apparatus of this type.
Such a test apparatus is in principle an RF test station, which is a modified small base station of a mobile communications network. The test apparatus can generate a specific test network according to the required mobile communications standard such as for example a GSM, UMTS or LTE network, so that the test can be performed very realistically. This type of test apparatus is used in order to test the RF properties, for instance the transmit and receive capability, of mobile communications terminals.
In modern mobile telephony, the trend is towards smartphones, tablet PCs and the like. Such smartphones differ from conventional mobile communications terminals in that they have a greater computer functionality and connectivity than a conventional advanced mobile phone. A characteristic feature of smartphones is the facility for IP-based communication (communication based on the Internet protocol). Thus this facility typically enables access to the Internet, which access is normally made via WLAN or mobile broadband. A communications link to the Internet is therefore established immediately after a smartphone is switched on. The large number of applications available on the smartphone and the requirement for the smartphone to be constantly reachable over an IP-based communications link place entirely new demands on the test environment and the test apparatus used for this.
Although it is also the case that the RF properties of such smartphones are tested, i.e. the mobile communications properties of these smartphones are tested, smartphones additionally have a large number of different “applications” as they are called. These applications refer to user software on the smartphone that is available via the Internet, and hence when activated requires Internet communication to be established.
Manufacturers of such smartphones, and if applicable also the network operators or developers of IP-based applications, usually verify whether a particular smartphone is behaving as required, for example with regard to data throughput, data volume, communications partners (servers), etc. This verification, however, still does not provide any information about how the smartphone behaves under real conditions, i.e. when using this application under different limiting conditions.
This is a situation that needs to be improved.